SENATE DEMOCRATS SEND PRIORITIES TO WELFARE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
From: Center for Community Change
On May 23, 2002,
a group of 17 Democrats, led by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee Chair Ted Kennedy (D-MA), sent a memo outlining their priorities for
TANF reauthorization to Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and
ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA), the committee with jurisdiction over
TANF reauthorization. Thanks to
grassroots pressure, the 17 senators outlined a set of "principles"
designed to shift the tone of the debate on welfare reform from work hours and
dollars to poverty reduction and child well-being.
http://64.95.130.47/webx?13@@.1dcdf1b6
**Children, Youth & Families
What
Works to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Childbearing, and Sexually Transmitted
Diseases
A new resource from Child Trends provides guidelines for
developing effective policies and programs to prevent teen-age pregnancy and
sexually transmitted diseases. This
research brief reviews hundreds of the best research studies available and
summarized the findings to identify the specific strategies that contribute to
delay teen sexual activity, reduce the likelihood of adolescent pregnancy and
birth and lower the chances of teens acquiring sexually transmitted
diseases. An accompanying Web-based What
Works table presents the results of evaluations of a variety of strategies to
promote adolescent reproductive health.
PDF: www.childtrends.org/PDF/K1Brief.pdf
Website: www.childtrends.org/whatworks_intro.asp
**Community Development
Solutions for American Communities
The Solutions for America initiative, a three year national
research project supported by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, documents
successful strategies and programs that are working to solve the tough
challenges that communities across the country face everyday. Contrary to
popular belief – that nothing works, or that everything works – the Pew
Partnership identified many approaches being implemented by communities,
families, schools, and practitioners that truly make a difference.
Press Release: http://www.pew-partnership.org/newsroom/solutionsForAmerica(pr)/solutionsForAmerica(pr).html
Results: http://www.pew-partnership.org/wanted/results/index.html
Establishing a Successful CDFI - Distance Learning Course
The National Community Capital Association will present Establishing a Successful CDFI via live Internet
presentation and phone conference on June 18-20, 1:00 to 3:00 PM EDT. Individuals and organizations seeking to
start a community development financial institution (CDFI) will join with an
industry expert instructor and peers to learn how to start and build a CDFI
that fulfills their goals. This program will focus on the essentials,
shortening the learning curve, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
http://www.communitycapital.org/training/learning_institute.html
http://www.communitycapital.org
A Self-Study Guide for Community Developers
A recent publication of the Community Affairs Department of
the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
focuses on designing projects, developing budgets and business plans, and
overcoming obstacles to community development.
The guide includes two case studies. http://www.stls.frb.org/caffairs/selfstudy/index.html
The Building Blocks of Community Development
A new resource created by Manpower Development
Corporation assists state and local leaders with community development. It
outlines six issues that affect economic prosperity and community well-being.
http://www.liscnet.org/cgi-bin/resources/enews/track.pl?date=2002/may/17&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emdcinc%2Eorg%2F
Mayors
Back Homeownership Tax Credit, Housing Trust Fund To
Combat Affordable Housing Crisis
A National Housing Forum, in which the US Conference of
Mayors met with representatives of the business, labor, housing, senior
citizen, public education, and public health communities, resulted in a
comprehensive set of recommendations to address the country's affordable
housing crisis. The recommendations will
be presented to HUD Secretary Mel Martinez and members of Congress. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino,
president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors said, "At last, we hope,
housing will be back on the national agenda." Housing costs are rising faster than incomes.
Already, more than 14 million American families spend more than half of their
income of housing.
http://www.usmayors.org/USCM/news/press_releases/documents/menino_052102.asp
The
Enterprise Foundation's 2002
Network Conference, "Celebrating 20 Years of Building Communities"
More than 1,500 community development practitioners attend
this prominent national conference featuring the latest advances and tools,
from financing and building affordable housing to community economic
development to child care, workforce and safety opportunities. The conference is Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2002 in Dallas.
www.enterprisefoundation.org/training/netconf
Forum Gives Opportunity to Help Working
Families Claim EITC
A forum sponsored by the National League of Cities Institute
for Youth, Education and Families will focus on promoting the federal Earned
Income Tax Credit to bring significant new money into local economies while
helping low-income working families. Municipal leaders are invited to gather in
Chicago, Ill.
on June 19-21, 2002 to
discuss strategies to maximize these benefits with other local officials and
national experts. The forum will address the role of municipal leadership
in increasing the flow of federal tax credits to local families.
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/newsroom/nations_cities_weekly/display.cfm?id=CC7D0348-F144-45B9-B43D2FBF02A1E15B
**Economic Security
Women Over 65 Half as Likely to Receive Pension as Men
A report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
funded by the US Department of Labor, finds that women over 65 are half as
likely to receive a pension, and that those who do, get only half as much as
men. According to the institute the
study has a number of public policy implications. “Extending pension coverage to more part-time
workers and shortening vesting periods should anchor a women’s agenda for
federal pension policy,” says the president and CEO of the institute.
http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/pensiongaprelease.pdf
Social Security is A Good Deal for Latino
Americans
An issue brief from The Century Foundation points out that
like other groups with relatively low average wages, private accounts would
hurt Latinos, who depend heavily on Social Security guarantees. “The proponents of Private Retirement
Accounts to replace Social Security continue to aim appeals at groups that have
low incomes both as workers and as retirees, notably African-Americans, women,
and Hispanics,” say the report.
“Ironically, these are the very groups that would be most threatened by
cuts in traditional Social Security guarantees.”
www.socsec.org
**Education
“Two Roads To Reform” - Compares Research on
Vouchers, Class Size
The People for that American Way Foundation weighs in in the debate of vouchers versus class size and the impact
of each on educational excellence.
According to the Foundation, there is little or no evidence that voucher
programs have led to any meaningful gains in academic achievement. Meanwhile,
the research on significant class-size reduction is far more substantial, and
the results are far more encouraging.
People For the American Way
Foundation report
http://www.pfaw.org/issues/education/vouchers/TwoRoads052302.pdf
The videoconference from the Heritage Foundation: http://www.townhall.com/audio/content/lect020523b.ram
City Leaders Take on Larger Roles in Education
The National League of Cities Institute for Youth,
Education, and Families finds that city leaders in many communities are taking
a more active role in education issues, as shown by a flurry of initiatives
across the U.S. Ideas, resources, and examples for how cities can help schools
are contained in a new action kit called "Improving Public Schools.” The action kit describes examples of public
school improvement initiatives in Denver,
San Antonio, and 10 other cities,
both large and small. The NLC action kit
is just one in a series developed by the NLC and is available at no charge.
Other kits available are "Expanding After School
Opportunities," "Promoting Youth Participation," "Helping
Working Families," and "Protecting Children and Youth."
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/newsroom/nations_cities_weekly/display.cfm?id=F78766A6-6E89-4F97-B64C1CADC08A0666
**Health
Center for Health Services Financing and
Managed Care
The Center for Health Services Financing and Managed Care
helps all Health Resources and Services Administration grantees better
understand and participate in the various health service financing and
reimbursement systems to ensure the maximum use of Federal grant funds for
services to the uninsured. The Center
offers a coordinated program of technical assistance, training, policy
leadership and evaluations.
Fact Sheet: http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/factsheets/managedcare.htm
Inventory of HRSA
Managed Care Activities: ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/CHSFMC/inventory-may2002.doc
Medicaid-TANF $500 Million Fund Expenditures as of December 2001
Federal "welfare reform" legislation separated
Medicaid from cash assistance. Under this legislation, also known as TANF
(Temporary Aid to Needy Families) reauthorization, Congress established funds
to ensure that people who are eligible for Medicaid are enrolled or remain
enrolled Medicaid. A total of $500 million in federal matching funds was made
available to states at enhanced rates. Each state was allocated a specific
amount to be used for conducting outreach activities, simplifying the
application process, updating computer systems, conducting public education
campaigns, and training eligibility workers on the revised state regulations.
http://www.familiesusa.org/media/updates/tanfup.htm
ARHP Launches 'Choosing A Birth
Control Method' Online Interactive Tool
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP),
an education association representing leading health care providers,
researchers, and educators in the field, has developed a new interactive
program to help women choose birth control methods that fit their lifestyle and
health. The tool, Choosing
a Birth Control Method, provides information about all FDA-approved
contraceptive options, and gives users
recommendations on which methods may be best suited for them.
http://www.arhp.org/choosing/
.
Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors: Should
There Be a Means Test?
The current issue of Insight magazine features opposing
commentaries regarding the question: “Should There Be a Means Test for a
Prescription-Drug Benefit for Seniors?” The director
of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance takes the affirmative position
and the CEO of the American Association of Retired Persons argues against the
proposition.
The argument against means testing: http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=252788
The argument for means testing:
http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=252785
States' Fiscal Struggles Haven't Led to Big Medicaid Cuts
According to a new article published on the Health Affairs
Web site an analysis of 13 states that have been part of the Urban Institute's
Assessing the New Federalism project found that states, squeezed by a recession and rising
Medicaid costs, are cutting spending and considering tax increases but are
sparing their Medicaid and children's health insurance programs in response to
budget pressures. Those pressures include declining tax revenue; increasing
enrollment because of expanded eligibility, new outreach, and higher
unemployment; and increasing costs because of higher provider payments, drug
prices, and lower savings from managed care. The analysis says that significant
cuts are unlikely, however, because of federal matching payments, minimum
federal standards, and the political strength of providers and beneficiaries.
http://www.healthaffairs.org/WebExclusives/Holahan_Web_Excl_
052202.html
**Hunger
USDA Announces Additional
Funding for School Community Kitchens
The Department of Agriculture announced today that the it will provide the Child Nutrition Foundation with
$444,265 to further develop the School Community Kitchens Initiative. The School Community Kitchens project
provides food to people in need while training low-income individuals for
placement in school foodservice positions. The initiative began two years ago
with pilot sites in Massachusetts,
Wisconsin and Florida.
http://www.asfsa.org/newsroom/pressreleases/sck02funding.asp
'kNOw
Hunger' curriculum now available
kNOw Hunger, a high school curriculum
published by the Gerda & Kurt Klein Foundation,
is now available online. The curriculum offers a parallel program of community
service to enable youth to help end hunger in their communities
http://www.knowhunger.org/
Impact of hunger on
health and development
The Center on Hunger
and Poverty has released a new Food Security Institute online resource
highlighting published articles and other recent research providing direct
evidence linking family food hardship to health, behavioral, and other
outcomes.
http://www.centeronhunger.org/FSI/fsiguide.html
Food Stamp Time Limits: Weakening the Safety Net?
A new report from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., funded
by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture find
that although food stamp time limits were meant to encourage the able-bodied to
work, the supports to help people move into employment were often in short
supply. Furthermore, many of those subject to time limits were not able to work
because of serious issues, such as substance abuse, medical or mental health
problems, or homelessness.
The issue brief
PDF: www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/redirect.asp?strSite=foodtime.pdf
The full report
PDF: www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/redirect.asp?strSite=imposing.pdf.
**Philanthropy
Business Plan Competition for Nonprofit Organizations
The Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures, formed by the Yale
School of Management, The Goldman Sachs Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts,
is accepting applications for its National Business Plan Competition for
Nonprofit Organizations, which supports nonprofits seeking to start or expand
successful profit-making ventures. Four grand-prize winners will receive
$100,000 each and four semi-finalists will receive $25,000 each. Winners will
also receive technical assistance. The application deadline is August 30
http://ventures.yale.edu/aboutcompetition.asp
**Technology
Funding for Community Based Technology Programs
SBC Foundation has launched the SBC Excelerator program, which funds community-based
organizations with projects that connect traditionally underserved communities
to today's advanced technologies. Projects must fall within one or more of the
following focus areas: technology access, technology education, and technology
workforce development. One-year grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000.
The application deadline is June 3
http://www.sbc.com/press_room/press_kit/0,5931,71,00.html
**Welfare Reform
Study Finds Moderate Welfare Reform Policies Make Work Pay
in Illinois
Results from year two of the
Illinois Families Study conducted by the Institute for Policy Research
at Northwestern University show a big drop in welfare receipt and some improvement in
well-being. "But, as the
report makes clear, Illinois'
poor, even in what was a good economy, still face considerable hardships, often
entering jobs with low wages and few benefits." Strong work
supports are key to self-sufficiency.
http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/research/ifsyear2release.html
No Increase In
National Welfare Caseload
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that
the number of people receiving assistance under the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program declined slightly between October 2001
and December 2001, the latest reporting period in which individual state
figures are available. The latest
statistics from HHS' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) show that
during that time, the number of recipients of TANF benefits declined by 1
percent from 5,336,717 to 5,284,711. The number of families receiving TANF cash
assistance at the end of December 2001 was 2,098,930, compared with the
2,098,432 families who received assistance at the
beginning of October 2001.
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/newstat2.shtml.
CLASP Audio Conference on Welfare Reauthorization and
Unemployment
Insurance
The next audio conference from the Center on Law and Social
Policy will be on Friday, June 7, 12:30-1:30 pm
EDT. The subjects will be
"2002 Welfare Reauthorization: Unemployment Insurance," With the
Senate Finance Committee expected to go into "mark up" later in June
the "Hill Update" segment of the audio conference will let you hear
first hand how the politics and policies are playing out on Capitol Hill. In the segment on Unemployment Insurance
Representative Nan Orrock, Georgia House of
Representatives and Maurice Emsellem, Public Policy
Director, National Employment Law Project will explore what the state of Georgia
has already accomplished in regards to Unemployment Insurance policy and put
this into the emerging federal context.
http://www.clasp.org/audioconference/2002_brochure.htm#about
Welfare Reform Evaluation
Conference in Arlington, VA.
The Administration
for Children and Families is hosting its 5th annual conference which
will be a forum for States to learn about the latest
findings in evaluations of welfare reform, strategize about ways to incorporate
evaluation results into the design and implementation of programs and policies,
and develop effective strategies to ensure sound evaluations of welfare reform.
http://www.betah.com/betah/conferences/WelfareReform/
When the Paychecks
Stop: Unemployment Insurance Fails to Help Many Former Welfare Recipients Who
Lose Their Jobs
A new report from the
Research Forum on Children, Families and the New Federalism finds that despite
recent increases in employment among welfare recipients, 40 percent of former
welfare recipients who exit welfare for work cannot rely on the unemployment
system as a safety net if they lose their jobs.
http://www.researchforum.org/newsletter/forum522.pdf
Rules and Regulations of the Seven Major Programs
As part of its Assessing the New
Federalism Program the Urban Institute has produced a “Fast Facts” brief Rules and Regulations of the
Seven Major Programs That Serve Low-Income Families with Children
PDF: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900515.pdf
Survey
Shows That Voters Believe Welfare Policies Should Move Families Out of Poverty
A new survey conducted for the California Budget Project
finds that nearly two-thirds of California
voters believe that the principal goal of federal welfare law should be moving
people out of poverty, instead of into a job where they will not earn enough to
support their families. Support for changing the goal of welfare policy is
shared among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents and among voters
throughout California.
http://www.cbp.org/2002/pr020417.html
